Over 15,000 people from 21 states across the U.S. attended this year’s Flowood Family Festival.
The festival is known as the official kick-off of summer for the city of Flowood and features a free concert, food, and fun in a family friendly environment.
This year’s concert featured contemporary Christian rock bank, Casting Crowns, as the headliner. The show was the band’s final stop on a tour celebrating their 20th anniversary in music. With over 13 million albums sold, 15 No. 1 radio singles, and several music awards, Casting Crowns is one of the most renowned Christian music groups in the modern era.
Rising Christian artist and powerhouse vocalist, Anne Wilson, took the stage ahead of Casting Crowns. Wilson is currently one of Nashville’s most inspiring young trailblazers and is known for fusing the heart of contemporary Christian music with the sound of country. Wilson said this is their first stop at the beginning of the band’s summer tour and expressed her love for Mississippi and the opportunity to be outside to worship and praise on such a beautiful day.
The Festival also offered a kids’ play area supervised by volunteers from churches, non-profits and area businesses. Children enjoyed games, prizes, bounce houses and a live petting zoo. Children could also be the star of the show with their own karaoke stage.
Food trucks and stands lined the entrance to the concert, where local restaurants served up signature dishes. The support of small and local restaurants was intentional and impactful. Concert organizers said unlike most events and festivals, food vendors are local and are not charged a fee to be a part of the event. It is an opportunity that benefits the restaurants financially and encourages visitors to come back again for a taste of Flowood.
When the event first began in 1999, it was called “Flowood Family Picnic” and was held at Winner’s Circle Park. Suzy Bogguss was the first headlining artist for this new event, and artists including Brad Paisley, Steve Azar, and more took to the Winner’s Circle stage in the following years. The Winner’s Circle Park amphitheater was made to fit 1,000 people, but the event always attracted well over that number.
By 2003, the Flowood Family Picnic grew into the name “Flowood Family Festival,” and by 2008, the event widely outgrew its venue too, resulting in the festival being hosted every year since at Flowood Liberty Park. The new venue was comprised of Flowood’s baseball and soccer fields, a hotspot for sports tournaments year-round, but Liberty Park also proved to be the perfect spot to host thousands of visitors, dozens of local food vendors, countless kid’s activities, and still have room for a large outdoor concert.
The event continues to grow with each year as several thousand visitors travel to Liberty Park each year to listen to their favorite artists under the stars and enjoy the welcoming, small-town feel of Flowood. Free admission is made possible by the City of Flowood and Parks and Recreation sponsors.
For a look back at all the past performances from Flowood Family Festival, click here.
All photos are courtesy of BL Marketing.
